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Thursday, December 25, 2014

A cake fit for a Queen

Birthdays, I find, should always be about receiving pleasure. The ultimate pleasure. To me, nothing brings more pleasure than
chocolate, especially when it is the best, most refined European chocolate made
into a dense, unique, cake. It is the
philosophy of one of New York’s best chocolatiers, Maribel Liberman.

Liberman,
a native of Honduras, understands good chocolate when she tastes it. She owns an exquisite store in New York City
called MarieBelle Chocolatier. And as
someone who understands the importance of a good piece of chocolate, she also
finds that “life is all about the pleasure and happiness we find in food, art
and beauty”.

Until I
became a fan of all things French, I couldn’t picture beauty as being present in
food. The French excel at this. Everything from the packaging to the way
edibles are presented, the thought placed in creating and enjoying meals, the
quality of the ingredients, and the sharing of those experiences is conducive
to beauty. Beauty inspires art, and chocolate
was the venue, this birthday when I turned 45, for that inspiration.

The treat
for my birthday was a Marie Antoinette
Vintage Truffle Cake, made by this chocolate house that also creates
artfully illustrated chocolates, raw cacao confisseries, signature ganaches and
decadent hot chocolate mixes.

I ordered the cake through Dean &Deluca, but it is also available through the company’s website. The cake honors Queen Marie Antoinette of
France, who adored the chocolate pastilles that then chemist to the French
Crown, Debauve & Gallais, created for her so she could swallow unpleasant
tasting medicines. Marie Antoinette
adored chocolate, and this cake, which comes packaged inside a box simulating
an ancient book, includes a poem in her honor, and her
chocolate:

She stares with puzzle at her treasure book

She can’t help but wonder

What the story is all about inside

She flips the cover

And to her surprise:

A mysterious dark slab

With a rich golden chandelier

Simulating the entrance of a Palace

How amazing!!!

He contemplated her with joy

As she closed her eyes as if

She was going into a trance

He was the man she loved

But at that moment

He took a second place

People warned her that one

Becomes a prisoner of obsession

She held the slab and took a first bite

Melting cream in her mouth she screamed

OH… CHOCOLAT!!

Indeed, the Marie Antoinette
Vintage Truffle Cake is like biting into a truffle. It is quite small, about 6.5” by 4.5”, but it
compensates in richness. The truffle
cream chocolate lies on top of crisp chocolate wafers, so when one bites into
it, there is also a certain crunch. It
is decorated with the image of an antique chandelier, faintly showing out of a
sprinkle of gold glitter, and to my surprise, it did not fade throughout the
life of the cake.

I recommend a rich, dark shot of Italian espresso
to accompany this luscious dessert. And
of course, a trip to this chocolatier is de
rigueur during a visit to New York City.

After the cake is consumed (which will not take long, believe me), the
simulated case can be used for storage of cherished secrets – love notes,
valentines, etc.

A small piece
with a cup of strong espresso is all this cake needs. It should be cut in triangles as shown here.

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About Me

I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and lived there during the first twenty years of my life. I've been living in the Sunshine State for over twenty years now, most recently in Orlando - the city of Disney.
I'm a Political Scientist and have traveled extensively as the true Saggitarian that I am. I love to experience new cultures through food and customs. In this blog, I aim to invite you to slow down and enjoy the pleasures of life in order to become the perfect, non-desperate hostess - mainly good food, wine, travel, great literature and entertainment with the people that matter to us. This is a blog about debauchery, so if you are not interested in self-indulgence, you might have to look elsewhere.
As far as my personal interests go, I have a sponge-like mind and absorb as much from the world around me as I can. I am mostly interested in everything French, the country's history, cuisine and traditions.
This blog is about dreams, projects and passions. Mine just as much as yours. I review products and places, and test recipes. I invite you to peruse and indulge...